Working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA)
As a research student, you work at the cutting edge of your field. You live, breathe and care passionately about your subject. We encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities available to teach and share some of your expertise with other students. Each department has a designated Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) co-ordinator who organises the teaching opportunities and provides support.
In the Department of Biology, the way you can get involved in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level through demonstrating, marking and running tutorials.
Demonstrating is the term used for your assistance in a teaching activity, typically a laboratory practical class, or a problem-solving workshop.
Why Teach?
Why teach? It can:
● improve your confidence;
● enhance your ability to explain and engage people with your research;
● support you in developing an essential professional skill teaching and supporting student learning
● develop skills of creativity and innovation in you and your students;
● increase your resilience and resourcefulness;
● improve your leadership skills;
● enrich your understanding of your wider discipline;
● assimilate you into the faculty as a recognised expert in your field.
How does it work?
Typically, an academic responsible for a course specifies their need for assistance in a particular (or series of) session(s), and these are advertised within the department to the graduate research students.
Each term GTA opportunities are advertised to students who can sign up for sessions they are interested in, and assignments of demonstrating sessions is made. GTAs can be employed on a casual or contracted basis depending on how many hours they work and how regularly they work over a term.
Incoming PhD students will be able to work as GTAs in the term following their arrival to enable them to settle into their research project before beginning work. Masters by Research students can work as GTAs straight away providing they complete the mandatory Introduction to Teaching and Learning session.
Demonstrators receive orientation/training for the sessions that they are involved with.
Contact: The Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Coordinator in Biology is Amanda Barnes
There is a range of opportunities available within the University to support your professional development teaching and supporting student learning. As a starting point, all those who wish to teach must attend one of the “Introduction to Teaching and Learning” workshops. This training is designed to support you develop the skills and confidence you need to support for your students. Four thematic version of the workshop are available that are tailored to support specific GTA roles across the disciplines. Further information about teaching is available on the YGRS webpages.
Some teaching opportunities for GTAs are advertised centrally on behalf of academic and support departments (e.g. academic skills tutors). Current vacancies are advertised on the YGRS teaching opportunities page.